Germany 'debates conscription' as Baltic States warn Putin could 'pivot quickly' from Ukraine to launch 'existential' attack amid growing fears of all-out war in Europe

Germany is debating whether to bring back military conscription, as the Baltic States warn that Vladimir Putin could soon pivot away from Ukraine and launch an 'existential' attack against Europe. 

Germany's defence minister Boris Pistorius is this week expected to receive a report on what a possible return of conscription would look like, as part of a larger push to make get the nation 'ready for war.'

Though it is not currently known what Germany's conscription would look like, but Pistorius, considered a military hawk in Germany, is reportedly a fan of Sweden's model of service where all men and women are invited to sign up on their 18th birthday, but only the top five percent recruits are chosen to serve. 

The UK's military has expressed similar sentiments, with General Patrick Sanders, chief of the UK general staff, would have to train up a volunteer 'citizen army' in light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, though this was quickly rebuked by Downing Street. 

And other European nations have warned that NATO has to be ready to fight an 'existential' war against Russia soon, which itself has launched a conscription drive. 

The top diplomats to the UK for Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, the three Baltic States, said Russia could soon 'pivot quickly' from Ukraine and invade their nations. 

The Estonian ambassador Viljar Lubi, the Latvian ambassador Ivita Burmistre, whose nations directly border Russia, and Lithuania's charge d'affaire Lina Zigmantaite told the Telegraph: 'We are acutely aware that Russia's war economy and battle-hardened military can pivot quickly from south to west.

'We agree with intelligence assessments that a sharp strategic challenge to our defence and deterrence could come in as little as three years or even less. 

'We on the east side of the Baltic Sea have few natural frontiers, and nowhere to retreat to.'

They added that a new pan-European war would complicated by 'hybrid attacks', with Russia employing 'a blizzard of disinformation and other distractions'.

'In these circumstances, confusion spells defeat. We - and our allies - need therefore to be ready to respond quickly, convincingly and effectively to all kinds of threats.'

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree setting out the routine spring conscription campaign, calling up 150,000 citizens for statutory military service, a document posted on the Kremlin's website showed on Sunday.

All men in Russia are required to do a year-long military service, or equivalent training during higher education, from the age of 18.

In July Russia's lower house of parliament voted to raise the maximum age at which men can be conscripted to 30 from 27. The new legislation came into effect on Jan. 1, 2024.

Compulsory military service has long been a sensitive issue in Russia, where many men go to great lengths to avoid being handed conscription papers during the twice-yearly call-up periods.

Conscripts cannot legally be deployed to fight outside Russia and were exempted from a limited mobilisation in 2022 that gathered at least 300,000 men with previous military training to fight in Ukraine - although some conscripts were sent to the front in error.

In September Putin signed an order calling up 130,000 people for the autumn campaign and last spring Russia planned to conscript 147,000.